Chattanooga area legislators take steps to re-elections bids

NASHVILLE - Rep. Vince Dean, R-East Ridge, on Monday picked up papers to run for the state Senate District 10 seat, currently held by Sen. Andy Berke, D-Chattanooga, who is weighing a race for mayor of Chattanooga.

Also picking up papers to run in the 28th Legislative District House seat are Democratic Reps. Tommie Brown and JoAnne Favors, whose districts were largely merged in new redistricting plans recently passed by the Republican-controlled General Assembly.

Would-be candidates have until April 5 to file qualifying petitions.

Dean said Monday he is plans to get the 25 signatures necessary to qualify.

"I think it's obvious my core values ... strongly represent the majority of the redrawn 10th Senate District," Dean said. "I think the voting record will show also that I represent the values of the majority in that district."

Dean has already made forays into Republican-leaning Bradley County, portions of which GOP lawmakers added to the district as well as Republican-leaning East Ridge.

Brown, meanwhile, said "of course," when answering a question about whether she is running.

"My supporters said it [campaign] is going right into the victory column," she said.

Favors, who currently represents the 29th District which now becomes a Republican-leaning white-majority district, was in a meeting this morning and could not be reached.

The 28th District remains a black-majority district. Both Brown and Favors are black.

Meanwhile, Republican Larry Grohn has picked up paper's to run in the House District 30 seat now represented by Dean.